For a few moments, both of them stared blankly into each other’s eyes, until his parents nudged him.

“Ne, annyeong haseyo, “Jinki said.

He felt like he was going through puberty all over again. Not only did his voice awkwardly go to a higher pitch, but Minhee was much more beautiful in reality that in his dreams; he felt like a pimple-ridden, sweat covered teenager standing next to her. He could never match her appearance.

Minhee’s family was welcomed and made to sit. After hours of talking, Jinki got permission to talk with Minhee in private.

When Jinki asked for a one-on-one, Minhee could not help but blush. Uncontrollably.

As he led her to his room, she couldn’t but notice his perfect physique and facial features.

His face was strategically built: his eyes were shining at all times (just how she liked them), his cheeks were full, but didn’t puff out (just how she liked them), his nose was a perfect, soft, triangle, making his side profile amazing (just how she liked it), and his lips were of the right size and shade of pink. She would never match his appearance.

And when he smiled, asking her to sit down, her stomach churned. He was so cute.

“Uh, so, do you like me?” he asked, looking down.

Mentally, he slapped himself a few times. How can you just ask that, dude? Play it cool, he thought to himself.

To Jinki’s surprise, Minhee slowly nodded. He was unable to control his smile.

“But, do you really want to get married?” he blurted. Jinki was in a mess. He wasn’t able to create small chat, but he knew getting to the point would be unimpressive, he could not control the pitch of his voice, and his smile was totally out of the context.

Minhee went cold. Does he not like me then?, she thought?

She looked at him, as if to ask if he was serious. She could see that he wasn’t playing. So she replied, “Look. I don’t want to get married. Or, I didn’t. But my family is everything. I have to oblige to whatever they say. Moreover, I’m not in a relationship with anyone. So I don’t mind marrying you, or anyone else.”

And right when she finished, they heard Jinki’s mom calling for them from downstairs.

“Minhee, your parents are leaving! Or do you want five more minutes?” she shouted, leaving both Jinki and Minhee in embarrassment; his mom sounded like they were on a play date or something.

“A-Anieyo, we’re coming!” the both shouted back, and ran down the stairs.

Once they reached the hall, Jinki’s mom outstretched her hand to Minhee and smiled warmly.

“I hope you’re happy, Minhee. We’ll treat you well.”

_____________________XXX______________________

“Yah, you’re still going on the date?”

Jinki’s mom looked at him styling his hair in the mirror, with utmost distaste.

After Jinki came to know that he was to get married to Minhee, he bombarded his mom with a slew of pleas, all while whining like a toddler.

“Eomma, I don’t want to do it,” he said, hoisting himself onto the kitchen counter as his mom cooked dinner.

“Jinki,” she said, dropping her work and turning around. “If you want to, go and find a date or something. See if you like her. If you don’t, then you will marry Minhee.”

“We’re still on the deal, right?” he replied. “Only if I don’t like her can you make me marry Minhee.”

Jinki picked up his wallet and emptied out all the money. He then stuffed them into his pocket and threw the wallet onto his desk.

“I don’t know. Have a good time,” she said, following him to the front door.

“Bye!” he said before she closed the door, flashing his wealthy smile.

He walked through the streets, filled with slush from the snow that hundreds of dates walked on, as he made his way to the restaurant.

“Lee Song Byul,” he mumbled, before he consulted the receptionist.

He sat down after being shown to the table Jonghyun reserved them, and once again mumbled his date’s name.

“Lee Song Byul.”

“Oh, you’re Lee Jinki?” asked a fairly husky voice next to him.

He looked up to see a fairly tall, curvaceous woman, looking down at him, smirking.

“Ah, yes. You’re Lee Song Byul?” he replied, standing up.

She pushed him back down and sauntered over to her chair before answering, “You can call me whatever you want.”

“M- Mwoh?”

“I said, you can call me whatever you want,” she repeated, slowly, adding in a wink.

Jinki looked away. Is this how all dates are? he thought.

“Um, ne. Do you want to order anything?” he asked, motioning for the waiter.

“I’ll have whatever you have.”

“Ne,” he said again, and looked to the waiter. “I -gwon pizza?”

The waiter noted it down and walked off, leaving Jinki in an awkward situation with his date. He could feel her staring at him the whole time, throughout which they didn’t talk. He just kept staring at the floor. Yah, Jongyeon. Gu imma! What kind of date did you set me up for?

Suddenly he felt a large hand settle over his shoulder. He was pretty sure it wasn’t Song Byul’s.

He looked up to see a burly man, looking blankly at him. Or he thought so, until the man punched him.

“Yah, who are you?” he exclaimed, catching the rest of the restaurant’s attention.

“Who are you? And what are you doing with her?” the man replied, lifting him with the front of his shirt.

He pushed Jinki outside, constantly hitting him.

He could faintly hear song Byul’s fake shouts, telling her current boyfriend to stop hitting Jinki. She was two timing the man, who he came to know as Hyuk Jin through her shouts.

He pulled Jinki into a dingy alleyway, where he attacked him even more.

Jinki could feel his breathing becoming crooked. He stopped trying to defend himself; he couldn’t even tell him to go away.

Jinki never realised when the other two left, leaving him in critical condition in the middle of the night.

He dozed, because that was the only thing his body could do.

——————XXX_________________

Minhee’s head kept replaying Jinki’s words.

“Do you really want to get married?”

Each time she thought of it, he stomach rolled over.

“Did you like him?” she heard her parents ask, as they settled into the sofa near her.

She saw her brother look down at her as well, waiting for an answer.

“I hate it,” whispered, standing up. The novel wasn’t on her mind.

“Mwoh?” her family replied, standing as well.

“I hate it, OK? He doesn’t like me. It’s not going to work out!”

“No matter what, you have to follow family tradition. All of our family members have done this! Why do you find it so hard to oblige? And why didn’t you tell us this before, when we informed you of it?”

“OK, firstly, even if I did tell you, you would have forced me into getting married anyways.”

“Then why bother to object now?”

Minhee found that point logical. She knew she had no way out. Why was she protesting? She even told Jinki that she had to follow the tradition. Indifferently, she went on with her defiance.

“Secondly, you said that every member does this. Then why doesn’t oppa? Isn’t he family as well?”

“Its because I’m adopted, Choi Minhee! No, I’m not part of the family. But you are, so stop making a fuss now and sit down! What did I teach you? You have to respect our family. They gave me so much. As my dongsaeng, I expect you to give it back along with me!”

Minhee was taken aback. She comprehended nothing after, “It’s because I’m adopted.”

Shading her face from her family’s view, she violently opened the front door and ran. She didn’t know where she was going to go to; she just ran.

After a few minutes, with her tears dried up and her mind calmed down, she encountered a dark alleyway.

Curious, she walked inside to find a crippled body.

She anxiously ran towards the person.

“I’ve seen you,” she mumbled, turning the person’s head.

Triangular nose…

“Lee Jinki!” she exclaimed, her heart stopping.

His breathing was severely irregular. His body was covered in bruises.

She had to help him fast.

Aigoo!! I wrote this even when I had so much homework to do! You better like it! (jk :P) ~<3